Bag-filling machine.



BEST AVAILABLE com J10. 655,322. Patented. Aug. 7, I900.

A. M. BATES.

BAG FILLING MACHINE. (Apylicatiun filed. july 25, 1898.) (No llodei.)

2 Shasta-Sheet l,

Sheet 2 2 Shasta BEST AVAiLABLE COP\ Patented Aug. 7, 190m A. u. BATES. BAG FILU'NG MACHINE (Apphcat on filed July 26, 1898 (No Model 71327Zeea BESTAVAILABLE com .1U 'IED v STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

fanut mn M. BATES, OF CHICAGO, ILLInois.

,B AG-FlLLlhlG MACHINE;

. .srncrmca'rmn f i g part-of Lettrs nt No. 655,322, dated August '7, 1900. Application sea Myra-.1898, Serial 1%. 686,791. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern! Be it known that I, ADELMER M. BATES,'a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chiparts by which the said objects and certain I cage, in the county of Cook and State of 111inois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in llag or Sack Filling Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact-specification.

My invention relates-to machines for filling bags or sacks, usually with a predetermined quantity of powdered or granular materialsuch as salt, sugar, collee, tea, shot, the.

and my invention has for its primary object to provide simple and efiieient means whereby a large number of such. bags may be constan tly maintained in the course of filling and under the control of the minimum numberof operator-s er attendants in a manner which will permit of the bag being filled and re moved without requiring other attention than to merely to put it in place on the machine. More specifically speaking, the object of my invention is to provide a machine by 1 which a large number of bags may be kept constantly in the course of filling and in which the bag may be filled by simply insert ing'it over the end of the filling-spout, such actof insertion being suilicient to start the flow of the material and the predetermined weight of the material flowing into the bag being sulhcient to automatically shut off the fiow and eject the bag from the machine,

whereupon the parts automatically become restored to their normal position in readiness.

for the reception of another bag.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of other objects hereinafter appearing are, attained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of myimproved machine. Fig.

2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the bagsu'pport and filling-spout, showing the bag and the relation'of the other parts with reference to the scale or weighing mechanism. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view of the end of the filling spout and. the closing cap or valve; and Fig,

4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 2. V

. In carryingoutmyinventionIemploy some suitable receptacle or holder for the materiab with which the bags are to be filled and which holder is provided with a number of fillingspouts leading downwardly therefrom and having means whereby the tlowof-the material may be controlled. Under each of these spouts is arranged a weighing device which when the predetermined qnantitv of material has run into the bag the-scale or weighing device tips er weighs down, and thereby ejects the bag and causes the spout to automatically close. When the scale is relieved of the weight ofthc bag, the parts of the weighing mechanism automaticallyresume their normal position in readiness for another bag; All of these parts are preferably so mounted as to revolve, so that an operator sitting on one side of the machine may put the bags in place on the scales or bag-holders as they come around and as they rccedc from him they will receive their supply and drop off before the samespout again reaches him.

Referring now more specifically to the form of the apparatus shown in the drawings, 1 represents a vertical standard or fixed shaft whose upper and lower ends are lirmlysccured in any'suitable manner, and upon this shat t on a suit-able bearing 2 is supported all of the revolving mechanism. 7

In the form of the invention shown in the drawings I have illustrated two banks of filling-spouts; but it will of course be understood that a very efficient machine might be made with but one. chine of tilvo banks of spouts I preferably employ a receptacle or holder for the material for each bank." The upper one of these holders is of cylindrical form, as shown at 3, and

is supplied with the material through a chute 4. The holder 3 is provided with an annular bottom 5, down'w ardly from which extend the filling-spouts 6, any desired number of which may be employed, but which are preferably so arranged that thei'iupper ends, where they enter the-holder or receptacle 3, will be immediately contiguous, while their lower ends are carried olf on'nn incline and widely separated, thus providing for the accommodation ot the manimum number of tubes with a receptacle 3 of minimum size.. Extending upwardly on an incline from the inneredge of the spouts 6 is abottom piece 7, which encourages the material to concenorder to still f u rther induce a downward trend trato over the spouts, and this bottom 7 is fitted around a cylinder or pipe 8, around whichit revolves, the-pipe 8 being securely fixed to the standard 1 by means of spiders ,IO 9 and projects above the end of the chute 4,

thus confining thematerial falling through chute 4 to the upper bank of spouts'G. In

of the material in the reeeptaclel, I fix to :5 the cylinder a propeller:10, of.any suitable construction, whose wings project over. the spouts 6 and as the'receptacleBv revolves force the material down through-the spouts.

- Projecting downwardly fromathe annular bottom 5 is the holder-or receptacle 1 1 for the '1, as shown at L3, so as to encourage the material to coneeutrateover the spouts 12. I alsohrrange a" propeller over the spouts 12 and affix it directly to the shaft or standard 1. The lower holder or receptacle 11 is sup- 1- o plied-with material through -the cylinder or pipe 8 from a chute 15. The receptacle 11 is provided atits lower end with a downwardlyextending stem or s tandard 16, which is supported upon the bearing 2, and thus supports the superstructure.

'lhe'whole apparatus may be revolved in any suitable, manner, but preferably from the top by means of a worm 17, which engages with a rack 18, formed on or secured to the upper edge of the receptacle The 'form of bag or sack which I propose to use in connection with my improved machine is preferably one in which the lillir aperture is comparatively small, of just sullicient size to receive the filling-spouts 6 or 12, and is provided with means, such as an inwardlyextending neck or valvular fold, which when the filling-spout is withdrawn autoniaticall close the filling-aperture of the bag, and thus make it feasible to permit the ba to drop di- D rectly from the filling-machine into a barrel or other shipping-receptacle without previous tying or sewing. Such bag forms the subjectmatter of my application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 684,047, tiled on the 15th day of July, 1898.

18 represents the bag or sack resting in a bag-holder composed of the inciined troughshaped portion 19 and a hinged drop or trap 6o 20, and 21 represents the inwardly-extcndii g neck formed around the filling-aperture of the bag, which aperture is preferably formed in one corner, so that as the material runs into the bag it will fill uniformly up to such corner, and hence become entirely filled. The end of each of the filling-spouts (i 2 is provided w'ith an automatic valve-cap, which BEST AVAILABLE-COP.

when the bag is inserted over the end of the filling-spout automatically opens and pen mits-the material to escape into thebag,'an d when the bag falls olt this cap is pulled do n over the end of the filling-spout and checks the rlow. The form of valve-cap shown" and f hichl prefer to use consists ofacollar 22, sleeved over the lower end of the spout 6 or .12: and having its lower extremity provided eap 22 23 is in 'the position shown in Fig. 3

and the attenuated tongues 23 then 'form a pointed projection to facilitate the insertion bag upwardly over the valve oa-p'ihe presses the edge of the bag under a spriug'frietionhold 24, secured .to tonnes by screw 25 and into the bag, and as the 'operator forces the being of such a form" that the bag may be forced in or pulled out when suflicient power is applied, the engaging point of the frictionhold being bent so as to be beveled on both sides, as shown. As the collar 22 rides upwardly on the filling-spout a rib or flange 26 thereon engages with ,a-s pringcatch 27, secured to the spout and thus prevents them:- cidental descent of the valve-cap should the friction of the tongues 23 be insufiieient for this purpose. The inner end of the screw 25 runs in a slot 28 in the filling-spout, and thus limits the reciprocating movement of the valve-cap, as well as preventing its rotary movement and holdingthe friction-hold 24 in the proper position. When the predetermined weight of the material has run into the bag 18, the drop or trap, 20 is automatically released and the bag-being then unrestrained is of suflicient weight to pull the eap-val've away from the catel. '37 and slide the samedown the filling-spout until the screw 25. reaches the lower end of the slot 28, when the sudden arrest of the cap-valve causes the bag to jerk away from the friction-hold 24, whence it falls into asuitable receptacle or other desired place, the act of its descent having in the meanwhile closed the filling-spout. To the end that the barmay autorha tieally drop oil in this manner. the bag-holderli 20 is supported upon a standard 29, whose upper end carries tvo perforated cars 30, to which the trough portion 10 of the bag-holder is rigidly secured. The hing-2d trap or drop 20 is sosured to a tubular journal 31, arranged between the cars 39 and being pivoted on a bolt 32, passing through both the journal 31 and cars 30, asshown in Fig. 4, and arranged within the hollowcr tubular journal 31 is a spiral spring 315, one end of which is secured to the fixed belt 32 and the other end to the journal 31 in such manner as tocausc the trap or ,drop 20 to remain normally'in its ole BEST AVAILABLE COP\ vated position. The edge of the journal 31 is provided with a notch 34, with which engages a dog or catch 35 when the drop is in its normal or-elevated position, the purpose of the catch icing to hold the trap against deflection nude-r the weight of the bag, the'spring 133 being merely sullicient to return the trap or drop 20 after the bag has passed over it. This standard 29 is .supported upon one end of the scale-beam 36 by means of pivot 37, the lowerendof the standard being pivoted by arm 38 to the main standard 39 of the scale. Arranged over the scale-beam is a weight or hammer 40, which when the scale tips or weighs down under the predetermined weight of the bag falls against the tail4lof the dogor catch 35 and instantly releases it from the tooth 34, the dog being returned to its engaging position bya spring 42. This weight or hammer 40 is supported upon a stem 43, which is pivoted at 44 to the scale-beam; hutit is limited in its oscillating movement by a stop-pin 45,. engaging in a slotrb, formed in the stem'. 43. This pin 45 is so arrangedwith relation to the center of gravity of the weight or hannner 40 that as soon as the balaiic'e is attained the center of gravity of the weight will be between the stop 45 and the piece 41, and the weight will consequently fall against such piece 41 and release the trap or drop 20 without interfering with the accurate weighing of the scatter After the weight of the bag is relieved from the scale-beam the scale-weight will throw the hammer 40 back to its upright position, as indicated in Fig. 2. stood that the filling funnel or spout does not It will of course be undersupport any part of the weight of the' bag contents, but simply supports the loose cor-- ner of the bag in which it is inserted, and hence does not materially affect the accurate weighing of the apparatus. One of these scales or weighing devices is arranged under each one of the filling-spouts, and in order that the same apparatus may be used for various sizes of bags each weighing apparatus or scale is made adjustable vertically and longitudinally, so that the corner of the bag may always come directly under the fillingspout and enable such spout to support the cornerin the manner shown in Fig. 2, and thereby better facilitate the filling of the bag. In order to. accomplish this, I mount the standard 39 of each scale upon a horizontal arm 47, which in turn has a slide 48 adj ustably secured to a vertical rib +19, formed on or fastened to the sides of the portion 16 and receptacidlhihe standard 39 being also adjnstahly mounted upon the arm'l7. The arm 47 and the rib 49 may he provided with gradnations, as shown, indicating bags of various pounds, so that should it be desired to till a two-pound bag, for instance, the slide of the standard 39 would he slipped along the arm 47 until it registered with two pounds on the latter, and the slide 48 would be raised or lowered on the rib 49 until its edge also registerd with two pounds on the rib 49. 'ihe weight of the scale-beam would then he placed at two pounds, whereupon all parts would be in position for filling a two-pound hag.

If desired, chutes 50 may be arranged to catch the bags as they fall from the bag-hold- 1. A bag-filling machine having in combi I nation a holder for the material, a spoutleading downwardly therefrom, a sliding valvecap located on the end of said spent for clos ing it and means for closing said cap by the removal of the bag, substantially as set forth.

2. A bag-filling machine having in combination a holder for be material, a spout leading downwardly th refrom, means for support-ing the bag under the spent, and an automatically-closingvalve-cap fitted on the end 0f the spout and adapted to be opened by the spout when forced upwardly. thereon, substantially as set forth.

3. V A bag-fillingmachine having in combination a holder for the material, a spout leading downwardly therefrom, a valve-cap composed of a collar fitted over said spout and having attenuated spring-tongues adapted to be-forced open by the end of the spent, and a friction-hold on said valve-cap for gripping the edge of the bag, substantially as set forth.

4. A bag-filling machine having in combination a receptacle or holder for the material, a spout leading downwardly therefrom, a sliding cap on said spout havinga clip or friction- -hold for supporting the corner of the bag, a bag-support arranged under said spout and having a hinged trap and means for automatically releasing said trap when the bag has obtained the required weight of material, substantially as set forth.

5. bag-filling machine having in combination the upper receptacle 3 provided with the annular bottom 5, the upper bank of filling-spouts 6 leading downwardly and outwardly from saidbottom 5, the standard 1, the pipe or cylinder Ssecured around said standard, the inclined bottom 7,the receptacle ll of smaller diameter than the receptacle 3, the filling-spouts 12 leading downwardly from the bottom of the receptacle 11, the stem 16 supported upon the standard 1, the fixed propellers 10, 14, means for revolving said recep-- tacles 3 11, the chutes 4 15 leading into receptacie 3 and pipe 8 respectively, and means arranged under each of the fillingspouts G 12 too for supporting the bag, substantially as set forth.

. A. M. BATES. Witnesses:

F. A. HOPKINS,

EDNA ll. JOHNSON. 

